Ink fountain blade for printing presses

ABSTRACT

An ink fountain having a continuous blade member of hard stiff metal with the edge thereof having a set of parallel slots dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections corresponding to printing zones. Cooperating with each of the sections is a cam for adjusting the clearance of the edge of the blade with the fountain roller thereby to determine the thickness of ink film in the zone, the cams being captively adjusted by means of respective adjusting screws. The continuous blade member is of a thickness greater than that employed in conventional fountains, and the slots which define the sections are fully occupied by elastic rubber-like material which is bonded to the edges of the slots and which accommodates differential adjustment of adjacent sections so that each section may be adjusted independently. In the preferred embodiment the blade member has, bonded to it, a thin cover plate which extends slightly beyond the edge of the blade member for cooperation with the surface of the cylinder. Also in the preferred embodiment a force transmitting member is secured to the underside of each of the blade sections to reinforce the section and to act as a cam follower for the adjusting cam.

United States Patent Simeth Dec. 24, 1974 1 INK FOUNTAIN BLADE FOR PRINTING PRESSES [75] Inventor: Claus Simeth, Offenbach, Germany [22] Filed: June 12, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 369,154

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 13, 1972 Germany 2228625 [52] US. Cl ..101/350,101/157,101/l69, 101/365, 118/261 [51] Int. Cl. B41f 31/04, B41f 9/10 [58] Field of Search 101/350, 364, 365, 157,

101/167-169; l5/256.5l;1 18/26l [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 805,100 1l/1905 Silver 101/169 980,454 1/1911 Thomson 101/365 1,759,889 5/1930 Clark 101/364 1,862,744 6/1932 Fankboner 101/365 2,283,830 5/1942 Taylor 10l/365 2,445,135 7/1948 Curtis 101/167 2,837,024 6/1958 Dongan 101/365 3,356,067 12/1967 Krasnow et al. 118/261 3,424,084 1/1969 Chambon 101/365 3,696,743 10/1972 Johne et al. 101/365 Primary ExaminerEdgar S. Burr Assistant Examiner-William Pieprz Attorney, Agent, or FirmWolfe, Hubbard, Leydig,

' Voit & Osann, Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT An ink fountain having a continuous blade member of hard stiff metal with the edge thereof having a set of parallel slots dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections corresponding to printing zones. Cooperating with each of the sections is a cam for adjusting the clearance of the edge of the blade with the fountain roller thereby to determine the thickness of ink film in the zone, the cams being captively adjusted by means of respective adjusting screws. The continuous blade member is of a thickness greater than that em- I ployed in conventional fountains, and the slots which define the sections are fully occupied by elastic rubber-like material which is bonded to the edges of the slots and which accommodates differential adjustment of adjacent sections so that each section may be adjusted independently. In the preferred embodiment the blade member has, bonded to it, a thin cover plate which extends slightly beyond the edge of the blade member for cooperation with the surface of the cylinder. Also in the preferred embodiment a force trans mitting member is secured to the underside of each of the blade sections to reinforce the section and to act as a cam follower for the adjusting cam.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures v v v v w .0 0.0.0....

I v v v 3 o Zia INK FOUNTAIN BLADE FOR PRINTING PRESSFS It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink fountain which permits separate adjustment of ink film thickness in each of a series of printing Zones which may, for example, correspond to column positions. It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink fountain which employs a blade which is of thick section and relatively rigid but which nevertheless, being divided into sections, permits fine adjustment of each section and which is constructed to maintain such adjustment in the face of hydrodynamic pressure changes which occur upon changing the fountain driving speed. It is therefore an object to provide an ink fountain which may be easily and quickly adjusted with precision to pass just the right amount of ink in each of the printing zones.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an ink fountain and adjusting arrangement in which the adjustment of the blade closely follows the motion of the adjusting screw in both of its possible directions and is completely reproduceable, with complete freedom from the hysteresis or stickiness which characterizes more conventional adjusting arrangements, particularly where the mechanism has become contaminated by accumulations of ink residue.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an ink fountain which is capable of separate metering of ink in a series of printing zones by utilizing a sectionalized blade but which nevertheless precludes any leakage of ink between the adjacent sections. It is, in short, an object of the invention to provide an ink fountain which possesses the advantages of prior continuous fountain blades and sectionalized fountain blades but without the disadvantages of either.

It is a general object of the invention to provide, as an article of manufacture, a fountain blade construction having adjacent sections defined by parallel slots and in which the slots have, bonded therein, elastic rubber-like material insuring integrity of the blade while nonetheless permitting independent adjusting movement of the sections, with all surfaces being smooth and easily cleaned.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary transverse section taken through an ink fountain constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the fountain blade in FIG. 1 looking along the line 22 in that figure.

FIG 3 is a fragmentary underside view of the fountain blade looking along the line 33 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 44 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing the coupling between the adjusting screw and the cam along section line 5-5 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing a section of blade which constitutes a simplified form of the present invention.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments,it will be understood that I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment shown but intend, on the contrary, to

cover the various alternative and equivalent constructions included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning now to FIG 1 there is shown the pertinent portions of an ink fountain which includes a frame 11 defining a trough which carries a body of ink (not shown). Mounted for rotation in contact with the ink is a smoothly surfaced fountain roller 12. Extending along the frame of the fountain in the direction of the roller axis is a ledge 13 and an adjacent supporting surface 14. Secured to the ledge, and bearing against the supporting surface, is a blade assembly 20 having a continuous blade member 21. The latter has a base, or mounting, portion 22 which is secured to the ledge 13 by a suitable mounting means such as a series of screws 23 so as to present an edge portion 24 in the direction of the fountain roller.

In accordance with the present invention the presented edge of the blade member 24 is divided, by a set of parallel slots, into a series of individual cantilevered sections which have provision for individual adjustment toward and away from the fountain roller and with the slots being fully occupied by elastic rubber-like material which is bonded to the edges of the slots so as to provide continuous integrity of the blade member from end to end while accommodating differences in the adjustment of adjacent blade sections. Thus referring to FIGS. 2-4 (FIG. 3 showing an underside view), the blade member 21 has a series of slots 25 which extend inwardly of the blade member, and parallel to one another, defining bladesections 26, the slots being filled with elastic rubber-like material 27' which is indicated by the cross hatching.

In accordance with one of the further aspects of the present invention, each of the sections 26 has, secured to the underside of it, a force transmitting member 28. The force transmitting members 28 are, as shown, preferably of rectangular shape, made of metal, and intimately bonded to the center of respective blade sections to serve as cam followers for individual section adjustment. In addition the members 28 serve to provide longitudinal rigidification of each blade section.

For individual adjustment of the sections, each is provided with an adjusting cam which is, in turn, positioned by an adjusting screw, a typical cam and cooperating adjusting screw being illustrated in FIG. 1. The cam, indicated at 30, is in the fomi of a lever pivoted at 31 having a downwardly extending arm 32 and a cam surface 33. The downwardly extending arm 32, as shown in FIG. 5, terminates in a fork 34 which registers with an annular groove 35 formed in the tip of an adjusting screw 36. The adjusting screw is threaded into the frame as indicated at 37 and may be rotated by turning a knob 38'at its outer end. Because of the length of the lever arm 32 and the shape and position of the cam surface a high degree of mechanical advantage is obtained permitting an exceedingly fine adjustment.

It will be apparent, then, that turning the adjusting screw 38 in one direction will cause the cam 30 to rotate in a direction which will crowd the force transmitting member, or follower, 38 and blade section 26 in a direction toward the fountain roller 12, thereby to reduce the thickness of the ink film. Conversely, turning the adjusting screw 38 in the opposite direction serves to rock the cam 30 in a direction to produce movement of the blade section away from the fountain roller 12 thereby to increase the thickness of the ink film in the zone of the particular blade section. It is one of the features of the present invention that the cam 30 is positively rocked in both of the possible directions of adjustment by reason of the fact that the fork 34 at the lower end of the cam is captive in the groove at the tip of the adjusting screw. Thus no reliance is placed upon the resilient force of the blade as far as motion of the cam is concerned. When the blade section 26 is crowded upwardly by the cam the thickness of the film is positively reduced. It is true that reliance is placed upon resilient forces to produce downward movement of the blade section when the camis rocked in the retreating direction, but it is to be noted that the blade member is formed of hard and stiff metal, preferably steel, in a thickness which substantially exceeds the thickness of conventional fountain blades so that a large restoring force is available to keep the blade section, via its force transmitting member 28, firmly bottomed on the cam surface 33 over the useful range of cam adjustment. The net result is that the position of the blade section, with respect to the roller, accurately follows the rotation of the adjusting screw in both directions without any stickiness or hysteresis effect and in spite of the contaminating presence of gummy ink residue which might tend to inhibit the free movement thereof.

In short, while the present fountain blade construction is distinguished by a thickness which exceeds that of normal fountain blades, with an accompanying high degree of stiffness, there is a high degree of sensitivity of adjustment and close following of the adjusting screw in both of its directions of rotation. Moreover, because of the rigidity of individual blade sections and because of the longitudinal reinforcing effect of the force transmitting members 28, the tip of the blade which engages the fountain roller is positively supported so that the film thickness remains constant in spite of the changes in hydrodynamic pressure which may be exerted by the ink fountain blade incident to changes in the speed of the fountain roller.

In carrying-out the invention elastic rubber-like material is provided not only, as shown at 27, in the slots 25, but also in the spaces between adjacent force transmitting members 28. This material, indicated at 29, is preferably integral with the material 27 in the respective slots, being bonded not only to the opposed faces of the force transmitting members 28 but also to the underside of the adjacent blade sections. The effect is to support and reinforce thematerial which is in the slots so that the latter is better able to resist the shearing forces which are developed when the adjacent blade sections are adjusted differently from one another. The presence of the elastic material 27, 29 in the slots and gaps precludes any pockets where ink residue might collect so that all exposed surfaces are smooth and easily cleaned.

It is one of the further features of the present inventive structure that a thin continuous cover plate is bonded to the blade member 21 along its entire length, projecting beyond the blade member in the region of its edge to cooperate with the fountain roller. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the cover plate, which is indicated at 40, has a thickness which is only a small fraction of the thickness of the continuous blade member 21, indeed, a thickness which is preferably much less than that of conventional fountain blades so as to permit localized fiexure to accommodate changes in the relative adjust ment of adjacent blade sections 26. Preferably, the cover plate 40 provides a continuous and unbroken edge for cooperating with the continuous surface of the fountain roller, although, if desired, the cover plate may be formed into sections which cooperate with the individual sections 26, and with any slot or space being occupied by the elastic rubber-like material.

The material which fills the slots and spans the space between the cam followers should have characteristics which are normally associated with rubber except, however, that one of the well known synthetic rubbers should be used which is impervious to the effect of the oily components in the ink. The material should be one which permits tight and permanent attachment to all of the engaged surfaces. Where rubber is used it may be doctored into the spaces in the plastic state with subsequent application of heat for vulcanization. In lieu of rubber any plastic may be used having resilient characteristics similar to rubber and capable of permanent adherance to the engaged surfaces. If desired the elastic material, instead of being directly adherent to the engaged surfaces, may be secured thereto by a strong compatible cement.

The present invention, while discussed in connection with an overshot type of fountain is not limited thereto and may be used with fountains of the undershot type.

Also while the device, as shown, includes a manual knob for adjustment of each of the blade sections, the invention is not limited to manual control. Indeed, because of the close following of the blade position with turning of the adjusting screw in either direction, the blade and mechanism are particularly suited to remote automatic driving and positioning.

Theinvention has been discussed in connection with the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, but it will, however, be understood that the invention may be utilized, in its simplest aspect, as shown in FIG. 6 without a cover plate and with the presented edges of the blade sections bearing directly against the fountain roller. In this figure corresponding elements are indicated by corresponding reference numerals with the addition of subscript a. Thus the blade member, indicated at 210, has notches 25a which define blade sections 26a which register with zones on the printed product, for example, column positions. The notches are fully occupied by elastic rubber-like material 27a securely bonded to the edges of the slots by vulcanizing or the like, the material being sufficiently flexible and the notches sufficiently wideso as to provide substantially independent movement of each section for determining the thickness of ink film. In the simplest aspect of the invention the adjusting means, for example a cam member 30, may bear directly against the underside of each section or, if desired, the sections may be reinforced by force transmitting members, such as indicated at 28 in the prior embodiment, secured to, and centered upon, the underside of each of the blade sections.

I It is preferred to employ a cam 30 in the shape of a lever as illustrated in FIG. 1, but it will be understood that the invention in certain of its aspects is not limited to this particular cam configuration and that other cam shapes may be used; indeed, the tem cam will be understood to be used in a general sense as a member which is adjustably capable of crowding against the individual blade section for the purpose of changing the thickness of the ink film.

The term bonding as used herein is used in the gen-' eral sense of attachment and any mode of fastening may be used. I prefer, however, to employ a thin layer of vulcanized rubber or a thin layer of strong and durable cement in lieu of direct metallic contact, thereby avoiding any necessity for relatively expensive operations such as welding, brazing or the like.

What I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a composite ink fountain blade for cooperation with a form roller of a printing press to control the thickness of ink film in each of a plurality of zones along the length of the blade comprising, in combination, a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal in relatively thick section, such blade member having a set of parallel slots formed in the edge thereof and dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections corresponding to said zones,-a thin continuous cover plate superimposed upon the blade member and having a fraction of the thickness of the blade member, the cover plate projecting slightly beyond the edge of the blade member for engagement with the fountain roller, the cover plate being bonded to the blade member and the slots being fully occupied by an elastic rubber-like material bonded to the edges'of the slots and bonded to the cover plate to form a composite blade having smoothly continuous external surfaces free of recesses in which dried ink might collect while permitting movement of each section of the blade member substantially independently of the adjacent sections accompanied by movement and flexing of the thin cover plate, and means including an independently adjustable cam for engaging the underside of each of said blade sections for transmitting adjusting motions from the cam to the cover plate.

2. In an ink fountain for a printing press, the combination comprising a frame containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotatably mounted in the frame, a ledge on the frame extending along the fountain roller, a fountain blade secured to the ledge, said fountain blade including a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal having a set of parallel slots formed in the presented edge thereof and dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections, means including a cam and an adjusting screw coupled thereto for adjusting each of the sections with respect to the fountain roller thereby to determine the thickness of film in successive zones along the length of the fountain roller, a force transmitting member in the form of a generally rectangular block of metal centrally secured to the underside of each section and presenting a cam follower surface engaged by the cam, and elastic rubber-like material fully occupying the slots in the blade and the spaces between the force transmitting members and intimately bonded thereto to provide smoothly continuous external surfaces free of recesses in which driedink might collect, the elastic material being sufficiently resilient as to permit relative broadwise movement of adjacent sections so that the thickness of ink film formed by the I sections is independently adjustable by the respective cams.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which a thin continuous cover plate extends over the continuous blade member, the cover plate being bonded to the blade member and extended slightly beyond the edge thereof for engagement with the surface of the fountain roller.

4. In an ink fountain for a printing press the combination comprising a frame containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotatably mounted in the frame, a ledge on the frame extending along the fountain roller, a fountain blade secured to the ledge, said fountain blade including a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal having a set of parallel slots formed in the presented edge thereof and dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections, each of the sections having bonded to its underside a rigid force transmitting vmember in'the form of a generally rectangular block of metal which is in centered position parallel to the slots so as to form a cam follower surface for independent adjustment of the blade section while providing longi-- tudinal reinforcement thereof, means including a cam bearing against the cam follower surface and having an adjusting screw coupled thereto for positively adjusting the position of the section in both directions with respect to the surface of the fountain roller, and elastic rubber-like material fully'occupying the slots in the blade and smoothly bridging the spaces between the force transmitting members and intimately bonded thereto to provide smoothly continuous external surfaces free of recesses in which dried ink might collect, the slots being sufficiently wide and the elastic material being sufficiently resilient as to permit relative broadwise movement of each blade section substantially. independently of the adjacent sections. l

5. In an ink fountain for a printing press, the combination comprising a frame containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotatably mounted in the frame, a ledge onthe frame extending along the fountain roller; a fountain blade secured to the ledge, said fountain blade including a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal having a set of parallel slots formed in the presented edge thereof for dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections, a-vertically arranged adjusting lever alined with each section, the lever being pinned at its upper end to the frame to provide a fixed fulcrum having a closely adjacent cam surface bearing against the underside of the associated section, an adjusting screw threaded in the frame substantially persmoothly continuous lateral blade surfaces free of recesses in which dried ink might collect, the slots being sufficiently wide and the elastic material being sufficiently resilient as to permit relative broadwise movement of each section substantially independently of the adjacent sections, the thickness of the blade member being sufficiently great so as to develop a high value of restoring force to keep each blade section solidly seated on its cam over the range of cam adjustment. 

1. As an article of manufacture, a composite ink fountain blade for cooperation with a form roller of a printing press to control the thickness of ink film in each of a plurality of zones along the length of the blade comprising, in combination, a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal in relatively thick section, such blade member having a set of parallel slots formed in the edge thereof and dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections corresponding to said zones, a thin continuous cover plate superimposed upon the blade member and having a fraction of the thickness of the blade member, the cover plate projecting slightly beyond the edge of the blade member for engagement with the fountain roller, the cover plate being bonded to the blade member and the slots being fully occupied by an elastic rubber-like material bonded to the edges of the slots and bonded to the cover plate to form a composite blade having smoothly continuous external surfaces free of recesses in which dried ink might collect while permitting movement of each section of the blade member substantially independently of the adjacent sections accompanied by movement and flexing of the thin cover plate, and means including an independently adjustable cam for engaging the underside of each of said blade sections for transmitting adjusting motions from the cam to the cover plate.
 2. In an ink fountain for a printing press, the combination comprising a frame containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotatably mounted in the frame, a ledge on the frame extending along the fountain roller, a fountain blade secured to the ledge, said fountain blade including a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal having a set of parallel slots formed in the presented edge thereof and dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections, means including a cam and an adjusting screw coupled thereto for adjusting each of the sections with respect to the fountain roller thereby to determine the thickness of film in successive zones along the length of the fountain roller, a force transmitting member in the form of a generally rectangular block of metal centrally secured to the underside of each section and presenting a cam follower surface engaged by the cam, and elastic rubber-like material fully occupying the slots in the blade and the spaces between the force transmitting members and intimately bonded thereto to provide smoothly continuous external surfaces free of recesses in which dried ink might collect, the elastic material being sufficiently resilient as to permit relative broadwise movement of adjacent sections so that the thickness of ink film formed by the sections is independently adjustable by the respective cams.
 3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which a thin continuous cover plate extends over the continuous blade member, the cover plate being bonded to the blade member and extended slightly beyond the edge thereof for engagement with the surface of the fountain roller.
 4. In an ink fountain for a printing press the combination comprising a frame containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotatably mounted in the frame, a ledge on the frame extending along the fountain roller, a fountain blade secured to the ledge, said fountain blade including a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal having a set of parallel slots formed in the presented edge thereof and dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections, each of the sections having bonded to its underside a rigid force transmitting member in the form of a generally rectangular block of metal which is in centered position parallel to the slots so as to form a cam foLlower surface for independent adjustment of the blade section while providing longitudinal reinforcement thereof, means including a cam bearing against the cam follower surface and having an adjusting screw coupled thereto for positively adjusting the position of the section in both directions with respect to the surface of the fountain roller, and elastic rubber-like material fully occupying the slots in the blade and smoothly bridging the spaces between the force transmitting members and intimately bonded thereto to provide smoothly continuous external surfaces free of recesses in which dried ink might collect, the slots being sufficiently wide and the elastic material being sufficiently resilient as to permit relative broadwise movement of each blade section substantially independently of the adjacent sections.
 5. In an ink fountain for a printing press, the combination comprising a frame containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotatably mounted in the frame, a ledge on the frame extending along the fountain roller, a fountain blade secured to the ledge, said fountain blade including a continuous blade member formed of hard stiff metal having a set of parallel slots formed in the presented edge thereof for dividing the edge of the blade into adjacent sections, a vertically arranged adjusting lever alined with each section, the lever being pinned at its upper end to the frame to provide a fixed fulcrum having a closely adjacent cam surface bearing against the underside of the associated section, an adjusting screw threaded in the frame substantially perpendicularly to the lower end of each of the levers and having its tip in captive engagement therewith for positively moving such lever in its opposite directions thereby to determine the thickness of film in successive zones along the length of the fountain roller, and elastic rubber-like material fully occupying the slots in the blade and bonded to the edge thereof to provide smoothly continuous lateral blade surfaces free of recesses in which dried ink might collect, the slots being sufficiently wide and the elastic material being sufficiently resilient as to permit relative broadwise movement of each section substantially independently of the adjacent sections, the thickness of the blade member being sufficiently great so as to develop a high value of restoring force to keep each blade section solidly seated on its cam over the range of cam adjustment. 